Electrical connecting device



Nov. 20, 1962 H. E. GUILLEMOT 3,065,383

ELECTRICAL CONNECTING DEVICE Filed 001;. 2, 1959 7 INVENTOR WMNM l g 7HENRi E. @ui

. ll W United States Patent Ofifice 3,065,383 Patented Nov. 20, 1962ELECTRICAL CONNECTING EDEVICE Henri Edouard Guillemot, 1 Rue ClaudeMatrat, Issy-ies-Moulineaux, France Filed Get. 2, 1959, Ser. No. 844,i84Claims priority, application France st. 27, 1958 4'.- Clairns. (Ci.3171i1) Modern electrical and electronic apparatus are more and morefrequently sub-divided into different parts, often numerous, known assub-units, which are connected to each other by electric conductors. Aseach of these parts must be easily removable, the coupling condoctorsmust be readily and rapidly detachable, as often as this may benecessary.

At the present time, the connections are generally made by means ofplugs and sockets composed of male and female members, to which thecoupling conductors from one socket to the other are soldered. These devices are mechanically complicated, give rise to false contacts at theend of a certain time, and occupy in proportion too large a space in thecase of apparatus of small dimensions which are very highly subdivided.

The present invention has for its object a connection device whichenables electric connections to be made between conducting contactsbelonging to members or subunits of electrical or electronic apparatuswhile avoiding the drawbacks referred to above. The connection deviceforming the object of the invention is characterised in that it isconstituted by an elastically compressible bed or pad, on one face ofwhich a system of flexible strips of electrically conductive material isapplied with the intermediary of an insulating layer. In order to effectthe electrical connections between contacts and the circuits formed bythe conductive strips referred to above, it is only necessary for thecontacts to be applied on suitable points of the said strips,perpendicularly to the surface of the bed, with a pressure which causesslight depressions of the conducting strips, localized at the points ofconnection, and made possible by the elastic compressibility of theunderlying bed.

The conducting strips can be given at the outset a shape whichcorresponds to the connections which it is necessary to make.

It is however also possible to prepare these strips in the first placein the form of a network comprising a very large number of electricconnections, in order to give the device a certain universality of use,the connections which are not required for any particular given casebeing subsequently cut out by mechanical cuts or perforations whichinterrupt the conductive strips at the desired points.

Further features of the invention will be brought out in the descriptionwhich follows below and in the accompanying drawings, which give severalforms of embodiment by way of example.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a first form of embodiment.

FIG. 2 is a plan view of a second form of embodiment.

FIGS. 3 and 3a are transverse partial sections of a portion of thedevice.

FIG. 4 is a view in perspective, showing the application of the deviceto the establishment of electric connections between two sub-units.

FIG. 5 shows the diagram of one of the sub-units of FIG. 4.

The connection device shown in FIG. 1 shows in the first place a bed 1having a thickness of a few millimetres and made of a natural orartificial elastic material, for example of rubber. It may also beconstituted by a sheet of flexible material covering springsuniformly-distributed over its surface. The function of this bed is toreact elastically to any compression force which is applied proximatelyat right angles to it.

On this bed 1 is applied the connection circuit proper, which is formedby thin narrow strips 2 of conductive material, preferably of metal,which are applied to the surface of a strip 3 of flexible insulatingmaterial, also thin, which is however wider than the whole of theconductive strips 2. The insulating band 3 can be made of any of thenumerous known electrical insulators provided in the form of sheets ofsmall thickness and great flexibility, for example polyvinyl chloride.

The conductive strips 2 may be cut out from sheets of metal or they maybe produced by weaving conducting wires in the form of a flat thinplait. If these strips are not directly produced in the desired form,they may be made up of portions connected to each other by welding orstapling. They form a design which is determined according to theapplication considered of the connection device.

This design may correspond directly to the electric connections to bemade in the case of the application considered, as will be seen below inconnection with FIG. 4.

The conductive strips may however also be prepared at the outset in theform of a geometrical design which is repeated at equal intervals, asshown at 2a in FIG. 2, with a greater number of electrical connectionsthan is required, so as to give the circuit a certain universality ofuse. For each application considered, the surplus connections aresubsequently eliminated by mechanical cuts or perforations whichinterrupt them at the required points. In this repetitive geometricform, the conducting circuit can be obtained from a wide metal band, bycutting out on a press following the desired design, with automaticadvance of the band. After cutting out, the metallic circuit 2a is alsoapplied on an insulating band 3 having a width greater than that of themetal band before cutting out.

In order to fix the conductive strips 2 or 2a on the insulatingsupporting band 3, these conductive strips and the said supporting bandmay be covered by a second insulating band 4 which is just as thin oreven thinner than the band 3 (see FIG. 3). These two bands are theneither stuck together or welded together by heating at all the points atwhich they are in contact without the interposition of the conductivestrips. The surface of the conductive strips can subsequently be baredat all the points 5 (see FIG. 3a) at which it is desired to press acontact stud on a conductive strip. The bared points 5 may be producedby removing a small part of the surface of the upper insulating band 4by means of a hand tool or a machine.

In accordance with a further form of embodiment, the position of thecontacts may be provided in advance by using as the covering strip aninsulating band perforated at the selected points.

The covering of the conductive strips 2 or 2a can also be effected, notby the application of a second insulating band 4, but by depositing asolution of insulating material which, after drying, gives a protectivefilm similar to the band 4 referred to above, the baring of theconductive strips at the point 5 being carried out, either as previouslydescribed by removal of material at the required points of the film, orby previously protecting the desired points against the application ofthe solution.

As can be seen from FIGS. 3 and 3a, the light coating of the conductivestrips 2 is sufiicient to keep these strips in position, the latter onlybeing subjected, during the use of the device, to forces at right anglesto their support (band 3 and bed 1) which tend to apply them againstthese latter.

The materials employed in the formation of the conductive strips andtheir insulating coating are so thin that this assembly can, due to itsflexibility, be subjected to slight local depressions at the points ofapplication of the contacts between which it 'is desired to establishelectric connections, these depressions being made possible by theelastic compressibility of the bed 1.

The means described above for fixing the conductive strips on thesupporting band 3 are not limitative. They may be replaced for exampleby a stapling or a riveting operation, passing through the conductivestrip and the insulating support band.

The flat circuit obtained by fixing the conductive strips 2 or 2a on theinsulating support band 3 can be cut to the required length, punched orcut-out as the case may be, in order to eliminate the undesired electricconnections in view of the application considered, and then fixed on theelastic bed 1, either finally by welding, sticking, stapling, etc., orin a removable manner by any kind of attachment means, for example bypress-studs.

FIG. 4 shows the application of the device to the establishment of theelectric connections between two successive sub-units 6.

In the example shown, each of these sub-units is formed by a plateserving as a support for the elements of which it is composed. In thepresent case, the subunits are passive quadripoles each formed by threeresistances 7 and a condenser 8, each of which is provided with twoinput terminals (contacts 9) and two output terminals (contacts 10).

In the example showntin FIG. 4, the output contacts 10 of the right-handsub-unit 6. are connected by the conductive strips 2 to the inputcontacts 9 of the left-hand sub-unit.

The contacts are made when the studs 9 and 10 of the plates 6 arepressed against the conductive strips 2 by a movement of the said platesin their plane, this movement being guided by slides (not shown in thedrawings)- located along the lateral edges of the plates.

The connection device which has just been described can, be applied notonly on a fiat surface as shown in the drawings, but can equally wellfollow any curved surface which can be developed.

The invention is not limited to the forms of embodiment which have beendescribed and shown, but includes in its scope all equivalent devices.

Thus, for example, the conductive strips 2 or 2a may be fixed directlyon the bed 1 when the material of which the bed is made has suitableelectric insulation properties, at least at its surface.

What I claim is:

1. A connecting device for establishing electrical connections betweencontact members on components and subunits of electrical and electronicapparatus, said device comprising an elastically compressible bed havinga surface layer of flexible insulating material, electricity conductorsformed from flat flexible strips of metal and laid on said layer ofinsulating material so that the flat sides of said strips conform to theshape of said layer of insulating material, said conductors. being laidin parallel paths which extend substantially perpendicular to eachother, and a thin layer of flexible insulating material overlyingportions of said conductors and bonded to said surface layer ofinsulating material securing the conductors integrally to said bed, theexposed portions of said con ductors lying in straight lines and formingcontact areas for receiving under pressure flat faced contact membersdisposed along the edge of a component support plate.

2. A connecting device as claimed in claim 1 wherein said conductorsdefine a closed network formed by substantially rectangular openings ina flat metal sheet, said 1 conductors being strips of metal surroundingsaid openings and adapted to be severed at any point to break circuitconnections not required for a particular application. 3. in an electricapparatus a connecting device comprising a bed of elasticallycompressible material having,

an electrical insulating surface, electricity conductors formed fromflat flexible strips of metal laid with their flat sides on saidsurface, and a thin layer of flexible insulating material overlyingportions of said conductors and bonded to said surface layer ofinsulating material to secure the conductors to said bed, portions ofsaid conductors being exposed to form contact areas, in combination withat least one component support plate disposed perpendicular to said bedsurface and having a lower edge conforming in shape thereto, contactstuds fixed on said lower edge, and electric circuit elements mounted onsaid; component support plate and connected to said contact studs, saidcontact studs being engageable with said exposed portions of saidconductors by application of slight pressure to said support plate in itown plane and toward said connecting device, whereby to establishsatisfactory electrical connections in localized areas corresponding tothe areas of said contact studs.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein said contact studs haveplanar faces for engagement with said conductors.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,066,511 Arlt June 5, 1937 2,353,061 Oldenboom July 4, 1944 2,478,274Johnson Aug. 9, 1949 2,535,674 Franklin Dec. 26, 1950 2,699,424 NieterJan. 11, 1955- 2,817,824 Albright Dec. 24, 1957 2,832,013 Pedersen Apr.22,, 1958 2,876,393 Tally Mar. 3, 1959 2,945,162 Flour July 12, 19602,958,064. Swengel Oct. 25, 1960 FOREIGN PATENTS 215,968 Australia, July10, 1958 OTHER REFERENCES Article: Cable Connections the Easy Way,Electronic Design, October 15, 1958; pages 24 and 25.

